Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: If a person has had memories of a pre-existence for most of life, how do they find meaning within this? Please help. It is so very confusing. No, I am not psychotic. I have always had these memories and visions. My life has been hard and I don't know how to reconcile the two. I pray and try to meditate; but, cannot find a way to figure it out or receive more guidance. Or, I am afraid to rely upon what I do receive. None of it is very clear. Help please...

A: Thanks for your note to us at Truthbook.com, a website dedicated to the teachings of The Urantia Book.

I am sure that whatever you are experiencing in your mind is quite real to you. You say that you are not psychotic, and so I assume that you have seen a medical professional in order to make that assessment of your condition...I will assume that you know for certain that your mind is sound.

You say that you have always have had memories of "pre-existence..." I wonder if that is the same as "past-life" memories? According to The Urantia Book teachings, reincarnation is a false belief. We have not had any lives previous to the one we are now experiencing, nor will we ever reincarnate again on this planet. Instead, our spirit-selves - our immortal souls which we develop throughout a life spent in the flesh - experience resurrection on the Mansion Worlds, from there to enter upon the eternal adventure of finding God in Paradise. We are "translated" a number of times in our upward journey, but never do we return to the planet of our nativity.

And you then seem to make a connection between the visions and memories and the fact that your life has been hard. I am not really understanding what the two have to do with each other, unless you have been so preoccupied with your mental state that you have not paid enough attention to the life right in front of you... Most people have varying degrees of difficulty in life, and difficulties always help us to become stronger, and to develop a strong and enduring character. But if you are putting too much time and energy into belief of a "past-life" instead of actively living your present life, this will continue to cause difficulties. And this is a choice you must make.

Not having much information about the kinds of visions and memories you are having, I cannot really advise you on how to ascribe a final meaning to the experiences. You do not appear to be frightened by them, but you do say that you are "confused." You say that you try to pray and meditate - I am glad to know that you do this, as it is a good practice, and will yield results if you persist in it.

One thing that I do know for sure is that you possess within your mind a literal fragment of the Universal Father - the indwelling Spirit of God that is called the Thought Adjuster in The Urantia Book. It is this fragment of God that serves as your constant companion, your spiritual guide, and your most intimate friend throughout your lifetime, and which assists you immeasurably in acquiring and developing your immortal soul.

It may help you to know that you are not alone in having some kinds of experiences regarding "past-life" issues. This has been a very widespread phenomenon for decades, and many people assume that because they have some kind of memories about having existed before, that they actually have done so. They can't imagine what else it could be...

I am going to offer something to think about - and please understand that this is my own opinion and my own attempt to help you come to peace. Even though we do not experience past-lives, we learn in The Urantia Book that some of the indwelling Thought Adjusters have had some previous experience indwelling mortals - mortals with whom they sojourned throughout a life, mortals who either chose not to survive, or who were not eligible for Father-fusion.

Now, I am not saying that you possess such an Adjuster, but I am saying that it is a possibility, and could be the source of the kinds of visions and memories that you experience, as "Nothing of survival value is ever lost..." with the Adjuster. One might wonder whether, in some individuals, this Adjuster experience could show itself in fragmentary dreams, visions, imaginings, or in what might be interpreted as "memory." Having ruled out mental illness, this could be the case, and possibly the source of the kinds of "memories and visions" that you experience. Again, this is my own interpretation, and may, or may not be an explanation that could be of help to you...I don't pretend to understand how this could be, or even if it is, but I am saying that it may be something to think about and even be grateful for...it is the way that we respond to such a possibility that is important.

You can read about the classification of Thought Adjusters HERE. The type of Adjuster I am thinking of is the second or third type - the Advanced, or the Supreme Adjusters.

In any event, you would do well to continue your prayer and meditation and your search for answers through becoming closer to God and learning to trust God. Since God dwells within your mind, it is through these communions with him that your answers will come. I would advise that you lay out this problem to God, and then spend time in quiet receptivity to discern the answer to your prayers. God is always with you, and you have nothing to fear. Just spending time in conscious, prayerful, worshipful contact with the Father and receiving his counsel will always bring peace to your spirit.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, do your best to live in the here-and-now - not in the past - even if you persist in having these kinds of thoughts. The life that you live NOW is the important thing - the experience that you gain through living the life you have been given is what will count in the end.

To become mature is to live more intensely in the present, at the same time escaping from the limitations of the present. (118:1.7)

Even while the Adjuster indwells our mind to assist us spiritually, you possess the freewill choice of what to think and what to concentrate on in order to maximize that assistance. Living life right now is always the right choice...and, if you ever reach a point where spiritual progress in your present life is suffering as a result of this mental activity, I would advise you to see your mental health professional one more time in order to rule out any other form of psychosis.

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Thanks again for your note to Truthbook.com. I hope this reply has been of some help to you...

Labels: God, mind, past-lives, reincarnation, resurrection, The Urantia Book, Thought Adjuster

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Friday, March 14, 2008

What is your belief about reincarnation and those intuitives/sensitives that promote past life readings?

Q: What is your belief about reincarnation and those intuitives/sensitives that promote past life readings?

A: Thank you for this timely and interesting question. The Urantia Book has the following to say about reincarnation:

p953:4((86:4.5)) The primitive doctrine of survival after death was not necessarily a belief in immortality. Beings who could not count over twenty could hardly conceive of infinity and eternity; they rather thought of recurring incarnations.

p953:5((86:4.6)) This idea of reincarnation originated in the observance of hereditary and trait resemblance of offspring to ancestors. The custom of naming children after grandparents and other ancestors was due to belief in reincarnation. Some later-day races believed that man died from three to seven times. .

p1029:1((94:2.3)) The undue concentration on self led certainly to a fear of the nonevolutionary perpetuation of self in an endless round of successive incarnations as man, beast, or weeds. And of all the contaminating beliefs which could have become fastened upon what may have been an emerging monotheism, none was so stultifying as this belief in transmigrationâ€”the doctrine of the reincarnation of soulsâ€”which came from the Dravidian Deccan. This belief in the weary and monotonous round of repeated transmigrations robbed struggling mortals of their long-cherished hope of finding that deliverance and spiritual advancement in death which had been a part of the earlier Vedic faith.

p1811:5((164:3.4)) The older Jewish teachers, together with Plato, Philo, and many of the Essenes, tolerated the theory that men may reap in one incarnation what they have sown in a previous existence; thus in one life they were believed to be expiating the sins committed in preceding lives. The Master found it difficult to make men believe that their souls had not had previous existences.

You can see from these quotes that reincarnation is not a belief that is fostered in the teachings of The Urantia Book, nor in the teachings of Jesus. However, it is a theory that many seeking souls adopt as a way of explaining survival of the self, as well as karma, the idea of reaping what we sow.

I was a believer in reincarnation at one point in my life, but I now much prefer the idea of "resurrection" of the immortal soul as presented in The Urantia Book:

p533:5((47:3.7)) On mansion world number one (or another in case of advanced status) you will resume your intellectual training and spiritual development at the exact level whereon they were interrupted by death. Between the time of planetary death or translation and resurrection on the mansion world, mortal man gains absolutely nothing aside from experiencing the fact of survival. You begin over there right where you leave off down here.

This teaching relieves any fears I may have had about having to return to this planet over and over again as the result of some past sins - which to me, is a very depressing thought. Having to endure, all over again, a complete mortal life until I "get it right," seems terribly unappealing to me.

Given the sheer size and magnitude of the inhabited universe presented in The Urantia Book, it seems highly unlikely to me that we would be doomed to such a circular existence focused on only this little ball of dirt in space. Rather, we can look forward to resurrection on new worlds, with new challenges, and new opportunities for atoning for our shortcomings. The watchword of the universe is "progress." Personally, I see nothing progressive about reincarnation.

I am however, interested in the phenomena of the intuitives that you mention, and I notice that many people seem to gain a great deal of comfort from these "readings." I am sure that they believe in what they are doing, as well as do the people who seek them out, but to me, it is only a curiosity, and nowhere near reality. I don't consider it sinful or bad, just misguided and pointless. From the Urantia Book:

p159:6((14:5.10)) Love of adventure, curiosity, and dread of monotonyâ€”these traits inherent in evolving human natureâ€”were not put there just to aggravate and annoy you during your short sojourn on earth, but rather to suggest to you that death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery.

Finally, as to the karmic idea, The Urantia Book has an interesting quote about reaping and sowing:

p431:2((39:2.13)) When you finish your earthly career, your body remains on this planet...You "sow a mortal body" in the grave; you "reap a morontia form" on the mansion worlds.

(NB: "Morontia" is a term designating a stage of existence which is between material and spiritual - a transition state between being entirely mortal, and entirely spiritual - ed.)

The Urantia Book teaches us that this new life vehicle will be a faithful reflection of the true inner person, so that the spiritual progress, or lack thereof, will be reflected in this new form. This is an intriguing concept, and to me, is a good reason continue to do all I can to progress spiritually...hey, I want to look good in my new life!!!

I would like to invite you to take a look at our flash movies - in particular, "After You Die," which is a beautiful. three-minute presentation about this very subject of life after death, and what we can expect when we experience our resurrection.

And if you have not done so, please susbscribe to Quote of the Day, a free service of Truthbook.com. You'll receive a daily quote from The Urantia Book to uplift and inspire you.

Labels: karma, life after death, morontia, past-lives, reincarnation, resurrection, The Urantia Book

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